A closer look at general obligation bonds

Three proposed general obligation bonds will, if passed, directly benefit public facilities throughout Otero county.

The three G.O. bonds appear on the ballot for the general election on Tuesday and any other ballot, absentee or early voting.

General Obligation Bond A would allow for no more than $10.35 million for senior citizen facility improvements, construction and equipment, a sample ballot shows.

The Alamo Senior Center will receive $265,000 to make improvements to building code compliance, including purchase and installation of equipment if bond A passes, according to the New Mexico Secretary of State's office.

Ronnie Ortega, Manager at ASC, said the center would get a new roof and replacement moveable walls if the bond passes.

"Our roof is in dire need of replacement and the moveable walls separate the dining room and form two classrooms for seniors' use," Ortega said. "We have not been able to open up the classroom walls for over a year as the building has settled, and we will replace these walls with a lighter type of material."

The Cloudcroft Senior Center would also get about $8,000 for equipment purchases and installation, documents show.

Kathy Swope of Sacramento Senior Services said her organization has a new center in High Rolls on the bond question.

Swope said her organization is in "desperate need" of a new building.

General Obligation Bond B would allow for no more than $9.

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8 million for capital expenditures on academic, public school, tribal and public library acquisitions, documents show

According to information released by the New Mexico State Library, the Alamogordo Public Library will receive nearly $83,000 should the bond question pass muster with voters.

The Michael Nivison Library in Cloudcroft will get about $5,000, and the Tularosa Public Library will receive a little more than $8,000, documents show.

Alamogordo Public Schools will also benefit from the passing of the bond with about $57,000. Cloudcroft schools will receive about $9,600 and Tularosa schools will get about $13,500, according to projected allocations.

The Townsend Library at New Mexico State University-Alamogordo will also receive about $26,400 if the bond passes.

NMSU-A President Cheri Jimeno said in a previous Daily News story that the Townsend Library has used the bond in the past to replace aging materials and acquire new technologies such bar code and document scanners.

The Mescalero Public Library is also slated for a $36,600 allocation, documents show.

General Obligation Bond C would allow the issuance of no more than $120 million for capital expenditures at New Mexico institutes of higher learning.

According to the NMSOS, NMSU-A would get $1 million for infrastructure improvements at the school should the bond pass. Jimeno said in a previous Daily News story that the college needs funds to repair aging roofs on campus and also to replace lighting fixtures with newer, more efficient models.

According to the League of Women Voters, general obligation bonds are paid out with property taxes. But if all three bonds pass, property taxes in the state will remain flat.Contact John Bear at jbear@alamogordonews.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnbearwithme.